Sanosuke's Night on the Galactic Railroad
by Samkin-lone-Senshi
Summary: It happened on a night of the Summer Festival, Sanosuks and Kenshin vanish into the night on a strange train. Not knowing where they are going, only one can return to Tokyo.
1. The Milky Way

Sanosuke's Night on the Galactic Railroad 

Disclaimer: This is a story I wrote from when I saw "Night on the Galactic Railroad", I thought it would be an interesting story. I don't own either "Night on the Galactic Railroad" or "Rurouni Kenshin"

Part 1: The Milky Way

"You know why they used to think that the sky was covered with a river of milk at night?" Kenshin stared up at the stars one night; he smiled turning his head. "Because they didn't know that all those things were stars. At least that was what was in Yahiko's book."

Stars? Sanosuke had not thought about the fact, he sighed looking at the first clear sky for awhile, it rained so much the past few weeks that clouds covered the sky most of the nights, making seeing stars impossible. It was the first day of summer, he realized when he saw Kenshin in his new gi and hakama that Kaoru had bought.

Kenshin had become skinnier over the last few years, his scarred face looked much cleaner, the scar seemed to have been fading. He smiled holding Rei, his daughter who took more after Kenshin than Kaoru.

Sanosuke had watched the family for close to ten years, he had seen many adventures with Kenshin, now he seemed happy to not have so many. He sat down looking out over the sea toward China and then looked over at his friend who stared out at the ocean as if it was going to kill him. "Someday Kenshin, I might go to America, I heard that Saitou went already, he is learning about the American colleges and education. Don't you think that's exciting?"

"It is, I wish I could go, I would love to see it."

Sanosuke wondered though if Kenshin knew what was going on, he seemed more spaced out, then again, Kenshin was always spaced out. "Did you know about the Summer Festival?"

"Hai, Kaoru-koishii bought me a gi for it," Kenshin looked over his shoulder and then turned. "Rei-chan don't get close to the river like that." He ran over picking up his daughter who was almost going to fall in. "Rei-chan, you know Chichi wants you safe, that he does."

The festival was in full swing, Kenshin was with Kaoru who was sitting under a tree, Sanosuke walked away and into the field. He wondered why felt something fearful about this night, like he was going to lose someone he cared about. He walked over to Dr. Gensai's house and found Megumi going out in her brand new kimono, she turned and smiled. "Hello Sanosuke, what are you doing?"

"Its too crowd in the square for me, I'm going to take a walk in the field."

"I see, I have to go, I promised Ken-san to watch Rei and Kenji tonight," she smiled and walked down the street toward the festival.

The field was peaceful, almost serene with no one there, lovely new flowers started to bloom even at night, he lay down on the ground staring up at sky. His gaze was forever on the Milky Way, he remembered hearing Kenshin talk about it, as if his friend wanted to fall into it and swim.

Sanosuke sat up hearing a strange sound, he wondered what was going on, he saw a light in the distance becoming bigger, almost like a steam train's light. He bolted up to his feet and saw the large steam train right in front of him, he wondered what was going on, that was until he saw Kenshin climbing onto the train. "Kenshin?" he called and climbed after him and noticed that Kenshin was not there.

Sitting down in the nearest seat, Sanosuke looked out the window at the field which slowly started to move, he looked back at the empty seat and saw Kenshin sitting there holding Rei who quickly faded from his arms. "She's saved, I'm glad," Kenshin muttered to himself and turned to look at Sanosuke, he was holding in his hands a strange looking map. "You decided to come with me?"

"Kenshin?" He blinked and noticed that his friend was completely covered in dew that shimmered like small stars, his friend stood dusting the dew off.

"Kaoru-koishii couldn't keep up with me, that she could not, I remember seeing her running after me, but she couldn't keep up," Kenshin looked out the window and it looked as if the train was underwater, Sanosuke could see another Kenshin kicking struggling to keep his head above water, but somehow the current was too strong for him. "I hope she isn't angry with me."

"Kenshin?"

Something bolted through Sanosuke, was Kenshin dead or something? He did not sound like himself at all, it was kind of like he was being overly thoughtful. "I'm glad you're here, I didn't want to go by myself, I was scared I would be alone, that was why the Galactic station gave me two tickets," Kenshin sounded sad, his eyes closing, his red gi now was completely dry, his sakabatou was leaning against his shoulder as he looked out the train. "Are you angry at me for wishing you would come?"

"Where are we going?"

"To see her," the samurai whispered looking outside the train. "To see Oka-san, I missed her, that I did. Now I will be with her again."

He wants to see his mother, he seems so sincere that I come with him, Sanosuke thought fighting his own fear of the train which lurched a little forward. Kenshin continued to look out the window, his eyes on the scenery, which would shift from grounds to shapes, he seemed, absorbed into it. He turned to look at his friend and smiled. "Do you think about your mother?"

"Sometimes, Kenshin, I don't remember her that well."

"I remember mine, at least I think I did, I wonder if I pleased her enough. I know that I must have been a horrible son for all the things I have done in the past. I wonder if Kaoru-koishii will be alright, I hope she will be."

"Don't say such a thing, Kenshin, you must have been happy with her. You might have made her really happy too."

The conversation stopped when Kenshin looked at the other people on the train, Sanosuke didn't seem to notice them until they were standing right there talking to him. "Mind if I sit next to you, son?" an old man smiled and sat down next to him. "It seems you two are traveling together." This old man was dressed in a long white coat, his hair was wild and he had a large bag slung over one shoulder.

"Hai, we are," the Samurai smiled at him, his eyes were bright and happy. He continued to look out the window and pointed to some white bird. "Cranes?"

"Herons, my boy, herons," the old man laughed putting his hand on Kenshin's shoulder. "I catch them you know, people love them for meals."

"People can't eat herons, that's not good," Sanosuke muttered and saw the old man handing Kenshin a small leg which he gave a quick bite and smiled.

"It, it is candy, that it is!"

It was strange, something was different about this train, he didn't hear the engine. "What kind of train is this?"

"This is the Galactic Railroad," the old man smiled. "It is a special train, only a few people are allowed on it. Look at your friend there, he received his ticket same as the rest of us."

Kenshin just stared out the window, his eyes were discolored and he smiled. "Look at all the birds. Are you going to catch them?"

The old man was gone, he was in the flock putting one bird then another into his bag which had been slung over his shoulder. He appeared as quickly as he vanished right in the other seat talking to another strange person who was dressed in an old Shinsengumi uniform which seemed brand new. "Okita?" Kenshin stood up and walked toward the man who jumped a little and smiled.

"Hai, I see that the Battosai is coming with us this time, how many times have you received your tickets?" Okita looked to be in his early twenties, he sighed putting his hands down away from his Katana. "You look different."

Kenshin nodded and looked at Sanosuke. "You have received tickets for this train?"

"Many times, Sano, many times, but it wasn't my time to leave you and Kaoru-koishii, now though it is."

The trip went on silently as if somehow the shadows were coming to close in on the world. Suddenly the train jolted to a stop and Okita was gone, so were the other people. Kenshin sprang to his feet and began to follow the people out of the train. "Twenty minute layover," there came an announcement from nowhere.

"Kenshin, where are you going?"

"I'm thirsty," Kenshin said with a drowsy look on his face, he walked into the station and stopped in his tracks. "Where is everyone?" He looked around and continued to walk around the strange station.

"I don't know," Sano breathed heavily and noticed a tunnel in front of them. "Kenshin which way should we go?"

"Straight ahead," the Samurai just started to walk as if Sano was not there. He walked down a long flight of stairs and was now standing there staring at the Kamiya dojo, the main house looked empty.

Kenshin continued past it like it was not there and found some other stairs inside the shed leading down. He walked faster wandering through an almost sandy beach which was called, "Time Stream Bay." He sat down on the sand and looked out at the clear water, Sanosuke knelt down as if to get a drink and notice that the entire lake in this area had crystal sand. He turned his head to look at Kenshin who was holding in his hands a large rock that resembled an acorn. "Kenshin look at the water, it looks like diamonds."

"I see it," Kenshin turned his head and looked around, he blinked then squinted his eyes. "Someone is here!" He got up and was running up to a cave, inside the cave was a man who looked like Saitou yelling at a bunch of other men.

"I said to be careful, we have to examine these carefully, you're going to break the bones!" Saitou snapped, his face was not as squinty as it was when he was in Tokyo, in fact he didn't look really like the real Saitou at all. "You there, you're holding an acorn that is 1.2 billion years old, please have a care and put it back."

Kenshin dropped the acorn at his feet and blinked. "Hai, we will put it back! What are you digging up?"

"Not digging really, just examining, this place is full of old rocks and fossils. These will be excellent to mark when something died."

"Will you take these to a museum?" Sanosuke wondered out loud.

"Heavens no, it wouldn't make sense, best to leave it well enough alone," the other samurai laughed and turned his head to a man with a shovel. "Don't use that, use your hands, you idiot!"

"Right sir," a man got onto his knees and began to dig up with his hands pulling up an old bone.

Kenshin turned to walk away, Sanosuke picked up the acorn and ran after him. "Kenshin, where are you going?"

"Train, we have to get back to the train, put the acorn down," Kenshin muttered an started to run as fast as he could up the stairs, they made it back to the Kamiya dojo which was now as gray as stone. Sano dropped the acorn as he ran after Kenshin who was taking no notice of the dojo and the climbed onto the train without a word.


	2. The Blind Operator, The Message, The Flo...

Sanosuke's Night on the Galactic Railroad 

Part 2: The Blind Operator, The Message, and The Flood

Sanosuke stared at Kenshin who was still holding his map staring at it intently, his eyes wandering over it. "Not there yet, we have a long way to go," Kenshin whispered and looked over at him.

The door at the end of the passenger car opened and an old man walked in, he held in his hand a cane and it made a clacking noise as it knocked against the sides of the seats. The man took a step and then stumbled, his cane falling a good five feet away. Kenshin leapt to his feet and helped the man up and Sanosuke handed the man his cane. "Thank you, both of you."

"Let us help you, take our hands," Kenshin helped him to the other side of the car and into what had to be caboose.

The blind man put his a headset over his ears and was listening. "Do you hear anything?" Sanosuke asked blinking, he had seen telegraph machines before, but nothing like this one.

"Static, mostly, I have been following this signal for sometime," the blind man muttered and gave Kenshin some paper and a brush. "How are you at dictation?"

Kenshin smiled and said he was good at it, he sat down in a chair next to the man and quickly the man started to speak to him. "Ken-something, come….I….something, no….won't back." When it was done, Kenshin dropped the brush, he stood, then fell to his knees, his face going into his hands.

"Young man?" the blind man turned his head and quickly asked Sanosuke to leave the room.

Kenshin wept, his eyes covered, he did not wish Sanosuke to see him cry. "I," he whispered holding the brush giving it back to the blind man. "I, I did not want to make Kaoru-koishii sad."

"Kenshin, how many tickets did you receive for this train in the past?"

"Ten," he whispered and stood up slowly. "Ten."

"This has been your tenth?" The blind man touched his face and shook his head. "You cheated so many times, it is no wonder that leaving this time made you sadder. Are you not happy that your daughter was saved instead of you?"

Nodding, Kenshin said yes, but his eyes continued to water, his head aching. "Can you contact her from here?"

"No, Sanosuke will tell her."

Walking out of the room, Kenshin leaned on the door, he looked at Sanosuke who was looking worriedly at him. "Are you alright?"

"Tell Kaoru-koishii I love her," he whispered and walked back to his seat, his eyes filled with such sadness.

"I will."

The train went dark, as if it had gone down a tunnel, Sanosuke's eyes adjusted, but he just saw Kenshin looking out the window. "I'm sad, it feels as I will never get there, she might be gone," Kenshin whispered, his words seemed empty. He turned to look at Sanosuke, he turned his attention to a door and it swung open, two very large cats walked in looking as if they were people.

One was dressed in a red coat and was talking quite quickly. "You know, I hate it when it rains so much."

The other who was yellow tabby was holding a small child pitch black. "I know, I know. But at least we are on the train now." The yellow tabby was dressed in white, his eyes were like yellow lanturns.

Kenshin turned and offered the seat next to him to one of the cats who smiled taking it. "Fritz look, what kind people."

"Yes, Basle," said the yellow tabby who set the child down. "Charlie wake up, say hello." The black kitten just yawned and curled into a ball into the tabby's side. "I'm sorry, I guess he's still sleeping."

"You're all wet," Kenshin said softly.

"Yes, there was a flood in our town, we weren't the lucky ones who made it up the higher ground tonight. Charlie's my nephew, I couldn't leave him in the house, so I went into it, then we were floating down the street, quite a horrible thing," the tabby, Fritz smiled taking off his jacket and putting it over the small kitten.

Basle sighed and nodded his head. "I went after them in my boat, I was trying to save them, then they went over the falls and I went after."

Sanosuke blinked and saw Kenshin returning his attention to the window, his eyes on a constilllation. "Scorpio, isn't it?"

"Yes, Scorpio," said Basle who was smiling. "I remember when I was boy my father used to tell me a story about the scorpions, some of them aren't evil really, though their poison is rather bad for people. One of them feared dying alone, but really he wasn't alone."

"I heard that story, a friend of mine told it to me." Kenshin smiled.

Five years ago

Enishi sat in his prison cell looking at Kenshin who came in. "Why are you here, I tried to kill you?"

"I forgive you, I wish you to forgive me," the words were soft and sad.

"You're like a scorpion you know, even though you have a horrible stinger on your tail, you don't want to be alone," Enishi growled and looked out the window. His eyes were on the window. "Tomoe-chan told it to me when I was child."

Kenshin smiled and looked out the window. "She never told me stories."

"YOU NEVER ASKED HER TO!"

Silence filled the cell and Kenshin was about to leave. "I will tell it to you, if you want." Enishi just sat there looking as if he did not want to be alone either. "There was scorpioin who lived in a desert and it killed bugs for its meals, but soon a fox happened upon him, he fled and fell down a well. It stayed in the well and begged that it would die alone, it realized that if it had given itself freely to the fox, it wouldn't be in this well and the fox would live well.

"I begged to Kami to let it die, but not alone," the man whispered and took a deep breath. "He said, 'Please, Kami, please don't let be alone, give me another chance to live so that I can do it right this time.' Whether or not Kami heard him, it was not sure, all he knew was that when he died he did not feel alone anymore."

"Such a sad story," Kenshin whispered and turned to look at him before he left. "I have dropped charges on you, you should be able to go to America. I want you in America, Enishi, please go there."

Present

Sanosuke heard Kenshin telling the story and the tabby smiled at him. "Well put good friend."

The little kitten sat listening intently to the story, his eyes closing holding onto Kenshin, he seemed so quiet. There was silence that filled the car, people moved around getting off at their stops, but something about Kenshin seemed to be different.

"Almost there, three more stops."


	3. Goodbye

Sanosuke's Night on the Galactic Railroad 

Part 3: New World, The Clock that doesn't tell time, Southern Cross, and Goodbye

Sanosuke's back was hurting, he stood up and stretch, he heard a strange sound, he turned to see Kenshin standing too. He stretched and then sat down again, he was humming a song, it sounded like something from Europe. "Kenshin, what song is that?"

"New World Symphony," Kenshin said absent-mindedly. "I heard it at Yamagata's house once. It was along time ago, that is what it feels like to me."

Suddenly the song filled the entire room, Kenshin blinked and looked out the window which soon filled with the sight of corn. He stood up again and smiled, he twirled around as the song went on, it was if part of him was a child. "So warm, I like it when it is sunny, it isn't dark anymore!"

Sanosuke looked out and saw a field give way and saw a boy standing in front of a gate, it was himself as a child. He turned and noticed little Charles looking past Kenshin at the boy. "I know that boy," he smiled and turned to look up at Sanosuke.

"I knew him too," Sanosuke smiled back and then they stopped at in front of a strange station where a large clock was ticking, but something odd about the clock, it seemed different. It was divided into four quarters, each quarter had moons on it, the short hand was pointing as a sign that said Summer and the long hand point at the full moon. He turned to look at Kenshin who was holding the map. "Not there yet," he whispered and sighed watching as the train started up again.

Sanosuke sighed and noticed another cat dressed in a clown costume holding apples, Charles took one, then it turned into two, then three, he passed Kenshin one, then Kenshin passed one to Sanosuke. Basle and Fritz took the apples passed to them, with all of them having the apples in hand, they started to eat theirs.

Charles who finished up his apple sat in Kenshin's lap as they looked out the window at some strange black and white birds flying by. "Crows?" Charles asked and smiled at Kenshin who shook his head.

"Magpies," Kenshin smiled and looked out as the magpies landed in trees and then turned into apples. He smiled and started to close his eyes, a strange poem came from his lips. "Though I leave this world as sadly as one can leave it, please don't cry for me. I love you with all my heart so precious is my love for your life. Don't leave me to be alone," he sighed his hands on the sakabatou. "Sanosuke, bring this home to Kaoru-koishii for me."

"Kenshin, aren't you coming home too?" Sanosuke didn't understand, nor would he accept that his friend was truly dead.

Kenshin didn't answer, he just stared out the window, he just seemed so different now, he seemed sadder. He stared at the magpies, he turned his face to Sanosuke again, there were tears in those eyes, he knew he could not hide it from Sanosuke forever. He wanted to stay on the train with him forever until he was home in Tokyo. He just turned to look down at the map again, his eyes filling with tears. "Almost there."

The train came to a stop in front of another strange field, it was filled with light and there were many people leaving. Fritz picked up Charles who waved to them, though he was crying wanting to stay with Kenshin and Sanosuke. Basle bowed as they left thanking them for their company. Kenshin just watched as they got off and stared sadly at the people forming a line and a song came through the windows, a song of praise and happiness.

Standing at the station was Okita who was hugging his family and waved to them. "Kenshin, hope you remember, you get off at the Western Cross!"

Kenshin nodded and smiled, he turned to see another woman standing at the station, she quickly got on and was sitting next to Kenshin, there was another man standing in the aisle sitting down. "We have to make sure he gets off at the right stop, Tomoe," the man sighed looking down at Kenshin who was just staring blankly out the window.

"I'm here to help him too," Sanosuke stood up, the man smiled at him and nodded.

"We know, but Kenshin doesn't," the woman sighed, her hand on Kenshin's shoulder, he didn't turn. "Kenshin, it is almost time, you're almost home."

"Tokyo?" He whispered his eyes on the large station that was now becoming a small speck in the darkness. "I don't like the darkness!"

The bird catcher ran into the coach and digging through his pockets, he sighed. "Damn, tickets are being checked, go on find your ticket!" the man muttered and a dark cat appeared looking like a train conductor, his dark eyes were on the bird catcher who held up a piece of paper that had to be the ticket. "Now you."

Tomoe smiled, she brought her ticket, the man his, Kenshin reached into his gi pulling out two tickets. The conductor took Kenshin's and nodded handing it to him. "You're Sanosuke?"

"I am."

"You have the celestial ticket, lucky you," the conductor handed him the other ticket and walked away.

"I've never seen one before, let me see it," Tomoe smiled and Sanosuke handed it to her, she passed it to the other man, then to the bird catcher who smiled at him. "This is a special ticket, you get to go back to Tokyo."

Kenshin just sighed looking out at the empty space, his eyes travelling up and down the blackness searching for something. He sighed and his eyes closed, the bird catcher got up and saw that Kenshin dropped his map. "You might want to pick up the map."

"I'm almost there, one more stop, then it will be mine, soon," Kenshin spoke in broken sentences as if the grief was holding onto him. "I don't want to go, please don't make me leave her!"

"Kenshin, calm down," Tomoe put her hands on his shoulder. She looked over at her friend. "Kurasato, please help me calm him."

Kurasato turned to look at Sanosuke and sighed. "We've waited close to five years for him to come on the train. We waited so long, now that he is here, part of him is still in that place, he has to go home now."

Home? "Tokyo is his home!" Sanosuke wanted to blurt it out, he wanted to tell those two that Kenshin wasn't a child, that he could make up his own mind. Then he noticed something odd, something that the train had done to Kenshin, Sanosuke saw a small boy sitting in Kenshin's place, then in a flash he was an adult again. He wants to see his mother.

Kenshin was now crying, "I didn't want to leave Kaoru-koishii, I loved her so much, I didn't want to. I just want another year, that's all I ask," he begged to no one, but his face was filled with such sadness. "One more year."

He could do nothing to comfort Kenshin, he did not understand rightly what was happening, he saw the room darken and the two people were gone. Kenshin and himself were alone, Kenshin was no longer crying, he was sitting staring out the window. "Kenshin?"

"I see her, Sano," Kenshin smiled standing up, he started to walk to the caboose, he handed Sanosuke the sakabatou. "I…"

"Kenshin! Where are you going?"

"To Oka-san," Kenshin said softly, then he was gone. Sanosuke saw the door at the far end of the car open, he ran to it and pulled it open, he ran after Kenshin, but he was not sure. He ran as fast as he could to the last car, the caboose which no longer held the telegraph in it, nor the old blind operator.

"KENSHIN! Wait!" Sanosuke ran up to the door, he tried to close it, but Kenshin forced him away from it. "Don't go, you said…"

"I can't come with you, I have to go to Oka-san," Kenshin whispered, he opened the door and he was suddenly walking along the tracks toward a lovely woman with dark red hair, then he was running to her, he wasn't an adult, but a small boy of five. "OKA-SAN!"

Sanosuke tried to work the door, but it was locked, he watched as the train went further and further away, Kenshin became nothing more than a white spot in the darkness. "Kenshin, why didn't you tell me?"

"I told you, I fell in the river, I couldn't get out, you weren't listening to me," he heard Kenshin's voice all around him. He suddenly found himself back in the field, he turned around and saw no train, he only saw the lights, he saw Yahiko running along the river, the fifteen year old was holding a lantern yelling at the police and an irate Saitou.

"Kid, he's gone!" Saitou stopped the boy from falling into the river himself. "The current was too strong for him, I'm not having another person falling in! I doubt I would have made it either."

Yahiko dropped to his knees as Saitou picked him up again helping him back to town, Sanosuke looked to his right and found the Sakabotou lying there next to him. He blinked and picked it up running after Saitou and Yahiko.

The lights by the river were brighter, Sanosuke's friends ran up to him. "Kenshin went into the river to save his daughter! She fell in, she was brought back, but he didn't come out again," his friends were yelling, one was almost sick. "I can't believe Himura-san is gone!"

Running to the river, Yamagata was standing with Kaoru, he put his hand on her head as she wept into his shoulder. "Take Himura-sama's wife home, I will make a full search in the morning. I'm sorry, but it is just too dark for a proper search of the river."

Saitou nodded as he helped Kaoru home, he turned to look at Sanosuke who was standing in front of the gate. "I trust you will see her in?"

"I will," Sanosuke held Kaoru who was crying into his shoulder.

"I told him the water was too strong, but he wouldn't listen to me. I wanted him and Rei to be safe, why didn't he listen to me, why?"

"I don't know, but he gave me this," Sanosuke held up the Sakabatou and she held it crying harder. "He truly does love you."

End


End file.
